1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and equipment for use in a hospital environment, including hospitals and nursing homes. More particularly, the present invention is a method and apparatus for facilitating more direct contact between bed ridden patients and attending caregivers.
2. Description of The Prior Art
It is known that hospitalized patients confined to bed, particularly those seriously ill, have great difficulty carrying on direct face-to-face conversation with caregivers and other support persons. Although adjustable in height, hospital beds frames are typically maintained at a height of 32 to 38 inches; crib-type beds are often as high as 43 inches or more. With a six inch mattress, these heights extend to 38 to 49 inches. Traditional hospital rooms intentionally include sparse furnishings to allow for ease in rapidly reaching and treating a patient. Usually in this environment the only seat in the room is a sturdy chair of conventional height and solid construction which can be easily and reliably pushed out of the way without tipping in the case of an emergency. In practice these chairs are far too low to permit face-to-face conversation between the patient and the caregiver. Accordingly, hospital personnel rarely use these chairs and opt instead to stand at the foot or side of the bed--again making impossible eye-level conversation. This positioning results in the patient feeling removed and distant from the caregivers and support persons and adds to the detrimental isolation often felt in a hospital. Additionally, the fatigue of standing necessarily shortens the time the caregiver can spend with a patient.
The only consistently used means around this problem of lack of face-to-face conversation is for the caregiver to sit on the bed itself. Unfortunately, this is often difficult or impossible with the use of bed rails and various intravenous and monitor hook-ups. Additionally, it is not particularly comfortable for the patient or the caregiver.
Although seats of taller than normal height are known, they are not suitable for use in a hospital environment. Most such seats, such as bar stools, are constructed of heavy material and would be completely unsuitable for a hospital. These chairs would readily tip and create a tripping hazard in the case of a hospital emergency. Another possible response is to use a tall legged seat which folds into a somewhat compact unit, such as a "director's chair." However, these devices are still far too bulky and unwieldy for use in a hospital.
One such device is the step stool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,243 issued to Bates et al. This device, although providing a seat of apparently taller than average height, cannot be readily applied in a hospital environment. In addition to being of a non-disclosed height, the Bates et al. chair is deficient for use in this environment due to its overly heavy and bulky design and a restrictive folding means. The primary problems with the Bates et al. design of chair is its bulk and the fact that it does not fold completely into a flat unit which can be easily set aside in the case of an emergency. Additionally, the Bates et al. step stool is not designed to have an adequately comfortable seat and supportive back.
Another approach is to employ a relatively conventional chair with extended legs. One such device is shown in French Patent 2,445,125 to Mousset, which is a folding chair with adjustable legs, allowing the chair to be raised or lowered to various undisclosed heights. In addition to not folding completely flat, use of devices such as these have also proven unsuitable for a hospital environment.
It has been found that merely extending the legs of a conventional folding chair does not provide enough stability or structural integrity to withstand the demands of a hospital. A lack of stability compromises both the safety of the chair and the comfort of the caregiver; a lack of structural integrity makes the chair prone to breakage in the heavy use encountered in a hospital. However, the addition of further braces or supports to a long legged chair tends to restrict the crucial ease of collapsibility and to add undesirably to the overall weight of the chair.
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and device for use in a hospital which facilitates and encourages eye-level face-to-face contact between a caregiver and a bed ridden patient.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device which rapidly folds into a substantially flat and lightweight unit which does not present any hazard to hospital personnel in a medical emergency.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide such a device which is comfortable to sit upon for an extended period of time and which is readily cleaned and capable of thorough sanitization.